Antigua, Barbuda Sanctioned For Breaching FIFA Goal Regulations

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee sanctioned the Antigua and Barbuda FA for FIFA Goal Regulations violations. The ABFA has been ordered to pay a fine of CHF 30,000 ($34,000) for having agreed to mortgage a property that was the subject of a FIFA Goal Programme investment with Antigua Commercial Bank without FIFA's prior consent (FIFA). The AP's Graham Dunbar reported describing the mortgage deal as an "inadvertent oversight," the federation said that "it was needed to help fund the national team's World Cup qualifying matches." ABFA President Everton Gonsalves said in a statement, "This arrangement with the bank was for the sole purpose of the further development of football in Antigua and Barbuda via participation in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers which is mandatory for all members of FIFA." The mortgage "was reported to FIFA by a football club in Antigua following the ABFA election last May" (AP, 3/6). FIFA has opened the bidding process for the 2019 Women's World Cup as well as seven more competitions, which are the FIFA Club World Cups from '15-18, the 2017 Beach World Cup, the 2018 U17 Women's World Cup and the 2018 U20 Women's World Cup (FIFA).